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Owning a Tesla in Dubai

Owning a Tesla in Dubai

Submitted by Babaron on 30. März 2017

So my brother-in-law who lives in Dubai wants to buy a Tesla. He heard that a Tesla service center is to open there in July and is very excited. He asked for my help in purchasing one so I found him a certified preowned in New York that he had great interest in. When I talked to the salesman about the purchase, I was told that Teslas would not operate properly in the United Arab Emirates because of different electricity and Internet provider. Therefore, it could not be properly charged or updated. In fact he told me that there's no Tesla on the planet at this time that could be used in Dubai.

This doesn't make much sense to me as why would Tesla open up a service center in Dubai unless it was to support Tesla's there in the UAE? I'm going to call Fremont soon to talk to somebody there about this but I am wondering if anybody on the forum might have any information on owning a Tesla in the United Arab Emirates. Is the salesman correct?

Exactly! That's what makes the salesman's response so confusing. The only explanation might be that they have not yet started producing cars that can be sold in Dubai. I'm calling Fremont today and will post the response.

chohans |
31. März 2017

The electricity is the same as UK. So no problem there.
The internet is the internet. As long as there is wireless you can connect a Tesla. This includes a hotspot generated from your iPhone. I thought it did and would be really surprised if it does not.

Think the dealer is BS-ing. No wonder Tesla dislikes dealerships.

Babaron |
02. April 2017

So it is correct that there would be no big problem with charging or even updating with Wi-Fi; the 2 big issues would be that the Nav would not work on the road unless you used your phone as a hotspot. And...there would be NO WARRANTY COVERAGE for any new or CPO purchase from the states or from EU. Must order and take delivery of a new MS from the sales center in Dubai.

That's the info from Palo Alto. The lack of warranty was the deal breaker.

alhuraimel |
02. April 2017

Hi there, I took delivery of a Tesla Model S P100D a few days ago. One of the first few cars officially brought in from Tesla (I order my car from the Tesla UAE website the moment it went live on Feb 13th). My car was initially supposed to arrive in June, but I got a surprise call from Tesla whether I'd settle for an existing inventory vehicle and get it earlier rather than wait for my customised order. Tesla is operating out of a temporary workshop next to MoE until their showroom is up and running this summer. When I picked up my car on Friday, one of the Tesla staff mentioned that they have already delivered ten official GCC spec cars already.

To answer some of your questions:
- Charging is a bit of a hassle for me so far. I'm quite lucky that the building that I live in Abu Dhabi has a Tesla Wall charger. Since I've ordered the High Power Upgrade, I can get a full charge in 5 hours (with a range of 470 km). I've also used the supercharger at the last Exit stop in Dubai. 20 minutes got me a half charge (~200 km). I tried charging my charge at Emirates Towers yesterday, the valet team were confused and had to call the head of security to find where they've installed. I drive a lot between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, so I need to plan my charges accordingly.
- Internet is not much of an issue. My car came with a standard 4G Sim card. So internet surfing does work fine, so does the Tune-In app, so I listen to some online radio and podcast channels. Unfortunately, Spotify does not work in the UAE (regardless, if you access it from your Tesla or iPhone). I also tried the Tesla App on my phone and it works as well.

alhuraimel |
02. April 2017

Forget to mention that both Google Navigation and Autosteer aren't working yet. The Tesla team told me that they are currently being configured for Dubai and should be up and running by this summer.

Kuwt7 |
30. Juni 2017

I bought my tesla X model few days ago and brought it to Kuwait. I am having a problem connecting the car to a cellular data service. Is there a place in the X model for the SIM card?

Kuwt7 |
30. Juni 2017

Another issue is the Battery Range. The Battery type is P100D. I thought the range was higher than the 389KM it is showing. Any comments?

SamO |
30. Juni 2017

@Kut7,

Use a mobile hotspot and switch to wifi

As far as range, are you 90% full or 100%?

Kuwt7 |
30. Juni 2017

Thanks but I wanted a direct internet to the car i.e. Cellular data because I want to use the mobile app. which cannot be used from a remote distance if the car is not connected. The basement carage where I park the car does not have wifi access.
For the batteries , at 100% full charge.

TeslaTap.com |
01. Juli 2017

@Kuwt7 - I think you misunderstand. If you make your phone a hotspot, you can tether your Tesla to the phone via WiFi, and you'll get every feature that you'd get if you used the in-car's cellular link. Note that some cellular plans do not allow tethering and/or may require additional monthly fees.

The SIM car is not easily accessible, it's deep inside the center display. Even if you could get to the Sim card, it wouldn't help, as it only connects to Tesla's servers via agreements with specific cellular providers. A locally purchased SIM card would not work.

Kuwt7 |
01. Juli 2017

@teslaTap.com. No misunderstanding because I am sometimes using the hotspot as a substitue. The problem is if I am away from the car and want to use the Tesla app. how can I establish contact with the car froma distance if the phone is with me and not in the car! I.e. The hot spot connection requires that the mobile is in the car.

SO |
01. Juli 2017

Some people have purchased a cheap android phone with hostspot capability to leave in their car. This is so they could keep an eye on their wi-if enabled dash-cam that connects to that phone.

So perhaps you could do something similar with your Tesla. But keep an eye on the data usage. That may get expensive depending on your data plan.

jonhgaarg |
24. März 2019

Sorry for the small offtopic, but someone can tell where I can rent Tesla in Dubai? I'm going there next week.

rikkirose22 |
28. März 2019

You can search here https://renty.ae/types/luxury. This is a new service with good prices and great car choices. Also, they have a function of price comparison with other services. I think you should try searching there.

marlinputnam8745 |
29. März 2019

well you are being misinformed, there are tesla's avaialble in uae and on their website UAE official tesla website is avalaible.

mufflesound |
01. April 2019

It's handy for the recharge. For a single charge at home, you would pay approximate AED 23 for a full charge. Compare that with about AED 160 for a full tank for a Mercedes E-Class E350 Sedan 3.5L, 2017 model for approximately the same range, and you can see how much you can save in a month.

mmaryg599 |
24. April 2019

In Dubai, gasoline is cheap. And Tesla cars will be more expensive. Maybe these rich Arabs do not want to give money to someone else. There are few Americans in Dubai and they have less money than the Arabs. If there is no personal oil well, online credit will help. https://getmyoffer-capitalone-com.amsterdam-holland-travel.com/ Arabs do not need, and the middle class will need. Easy loan without a guarantor anywhere in the world.